Ep. 006: Become Your Client's Business BFF (and Watch Your Role Expand!)

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I’m going to be honest: the fun part of being a virtual assistant is not necessarily managing email accounts and schedules, designing social media graphics, or writing blog posts. What makes being a virtual assistant so amazing is that I get to collaborate with incredible women entrepreneurs everyday.

My clients have become my friends and my mentors, which is so rewarding. In today’s episode of The Support Squad Podcast, I’m sharing how I’ve managed to go beyond the daily tasks and become my clients’ true business BFF. If you want to expand your role with your clients and find more fulfillment in your career as a virtual assistant, you are going to love today’s episode!

A Special Invitation

One of the most incredible things that has happened to me since I started my business happened this fall. I’d been working for my client, an incredible life coach, for a little over a year when she asked if we could have a quick meeting to discuss my role in her business. We already meet regularly on Zoom, sometimes 3 times a week, and are always in communication through Slack and text. So I was curious and a little nervous about what this meeting would be about. She started the meeting by thanking me for all of the work I’d done for her throughout the year and then she launched into her plan to expand my role to include affiliate management, social media management, and a new pay structure that would seriously reward my efforts. 

I was super excited about all of that, but what blew me away was when she invited me to join her and her clients for a week long retreat in Sonoma, CA, all expenses paid. She expressed how important it was to her that I got to know her business more intimately, and see her work in person. 

Obviously, I said yes, and attended the retreat. It was absolutely life changing! I got to meet her clients, women I’d gotten to know intimately during my year of serving my client as her customer support specialist. I spent a week enjoying the luxurious retreat center, delicious food, and incredible workshops lead by some of the top women coaches in the country. I was even asked to sit in on a panel and speak about how to build a virtual team that can support you and your business.

I was so full of gratitude after the retreat, that I decided to really sit down and pinpoint how I’d gotten to that place with my client. I want other virtual assistants to experience the incredible pride that comes from working with clients that trust you, inspire you, and value you.

So today I’m going to share a few of the things I believe made all the difference. Some of these things might challenge you to step outside of your comfort zone. But isn’t that where all of the good stuff happens?

Weekly Chats on Zoom

One of the first things I do with all of my clients is establish weekly meetings where we meet over video on Zoom. I’ve learned that even though I’m a virtual assistant and could rely purely on email or Slack for communication, the human connection and face-to-face contact are so valuable. When I meet with my clients on Zoom each week, I get to see them in their environment and they get to see me in mine. I’ve gotten to know their kids, their husbands, and their dogs. I get to really feel into their energy, see what’s stressing them out, and pinpoint areas where they could use more support. Because of that, I’ve slowly expanded my roles with each of my clients, becoming integral parts of their business.

Now, I’ve heard from a lot of virtual assistants that video conferencing makes them nervous. They don’t feel like they have the confidence, or they don’t know what they’ll say, so they hide behind email. There’s a few things you can do to overcome this fear. First of all, show up to the weekly meeting with a solid agenda. With my clients, there are always little loose ends that I need their input to tie up or I’ll go over our current social media strategy or I’ll update them on the progress of a project or I’ll share something I’ve learned that week that might help their business. But I always lead the conversation so that they don’t feel that their time is being wasted. 

What I love about these calls is that it gives us a solid opportunity to address all of the little things that came up that week. Any questions that have been left lingering can be answered on the call instead of in emails or texts. It has really become a time-saver for me and my clients, and if you come to each meeting with a concrete agenda, you’ll find that they are very productive.

Be Invested In Your Clients' Success

Another thing I’ve learned is that I have to be as invested in my client’s success as they are. I take all of their victories, their successful launches, their positive testimonials, their 6 figure months so personally. When I approach their business that way, they can really feel it. They know that I have their business’s best interest at heart, which only increases their trust in me. Plus, that just makes my job more fun! When I care about my client’s businesses, my work doesn’t even feel like work. That’s also one more reason to really hone in on your ideal client. Make sure you’re working for clients that really resonate with you and inspire you.

Anticipate Your Clients' Needs

My next tip is to anticipate your client’s needs. Learn the places where they most need your support. For example: one of my client’s is a very busy mom, who often hops onto calls with her life coaching clients at the very last second. She doesn’t have time to be hunting for information or digging through emails before the calls. So I make sure that she has every bit of information that she’ll need for the call right in her calendar. 

Another example: I had a client that was starting a podcast. I knew that she was not going to have time to scout out guests for the podcast, so I immediately suggested to her that I put together a list of potential guests, create an email template to invite them on the show, and get a system in place for scheduling. 

In short: you don’t want your client to constantly have to ask you to do things. Busy entrepreneurs hire virtual assistants to cover all of the little details so that they don’t have to. Make sure you’re always thinking in terms of systems and repeatable processes. 

Send Thank You Gifts

One last little tip: send your client’s gifts! I always try send my clients little birthday gifts or Christmas gifts. It shows them that I value them and genuinely care about them. 

So boss babe, I hope that these tips will inspire you to dig a little deeper with your clients and build lasting friendships with them. Even in this virtual world, we can still create human connection by putting in a little more effort. And it always pays off in the end. A happy client who feels connected with you might send you a surprise bonus after a launch well done or have flowers delivered to your home on your birthday (both things that have happened to me in that last few months.) 

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